Hydraulic centering reel



May 27, 1952 F, M. LITTELL EI'AL 2,598,398

HYDRAULIC CENTERING REEL Original Filed March 26, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Patented May 27, 1952 Bron-mime 'CEN'IERINGFK EEL Ere'derichMJIiittell and Rudolph A. ESkrlb'a, 6bi- :cago, -Ill;., assignors to .;I. #Izittell Machine -(lompany Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois fii ig'inal application March 26, "1947, Serial No.

"787,366. Y Divid'ed and this application .Decem :be'r i1, 1949,1Setifl'liNo. 132,838

4 Claims. 1 '}The invention relates to reels "for strxip :n aterial in coil form and has more particular reference .to "a real {of the centering type having a plurality of reel supporting arms movable radially *jout ward or inward to grip or release a coil supported thereby. 7

object 0f :the invention is to provide a spindle reel ,of the centering type having horizontally disposed .arms mounted for movement in .a11'-a'dial direction with respect (to .a .i otatable {spindle whereby .a coil of .metal :stock may be securely gripped by expanding movement of .the arms and :may be released when the farms .are moved in la rcontracting direction.

,nnotherphiect-of theirrventionv-resides inthe prouisioniof a spindle reel havinghorizorital coil supporting arms and which may he hydraulically actuated by {longitudinal {movement :of a central ,member extending through the spindle :shafit 50f the reel.

Another object 0f the invention resides in -the gprovision of an ,improvedspind-le greel as=described wherein the horizontal 1 011 supporting arms .are actuated into an expanding or contracting direction slay the 'longitudmal movement ,of;-a,sleeve ihauing telescoping relatio with the spindle-shaft of the reel. r o o A :more specific-object of the invention resides in the ;.pro,vision of cam members on the arms and sleeve respectively having interlocking relation and which .efiect radial movement .cf the arms as -a result of longitudinal mouement 10f thesleeve.

with these and variousi'other objects in view,

the invention may consist of certain inoize'llfea A tures of construction {and -.,Qperation ,as will he more !fully described and particularly pointed out ,in the specification, drawing-s and claims appended hereto.

in the drawings, which illustrate (an embodiiment of the invention, and wherein-likereference icharacters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is :a perspective viewnof the hydrau- Jically actuated centering real for {coil stock material comprising the ,present invention; and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional .viev/{of {the reel of Figure ,-1 illustrating in detail the several improvedfeatures-ofthesame. Y r

Referring to the drawings, the spindle ,reel

selected for illustrating the present-inuention .es-

sentially consists :of avbas'e 1.0 having end menu.- l-bers -I l and 1-2 andside smBmIIJQIPS 4.3 and leproviding supporting means forthe spindle shaft (l5. The side members l3 and [4 slope diagonally,

p r directed toward each other, and at theirs;

apex said members together with :l I and Id 581113- jpo'rt the housing :16 :of cylindrical form :and 'which is disposed horizontally. At its iresp'ec- -tive :ends the housing .;is provided :with the roller bearings H ifor journalling thespindle shaft 435, -which=shatzprojects from the-respective ends 01 ;said;housing. The forward iproijec'ting end-hf the :spindle shaft has the various eleme'nts 'fors'supsporting the coil associated therewith, whereas, "the .rear -.pi'ojec'ting :-'end:of the shaft is assodiated with hydraulic driving means rorcpereung the reel.

"'l'hespindleshaft is mounted within housing 13 by :being inserted :from the forward end ol' the supporting structure or standard since it will =be :observed that :this end :or the housing :is closed 'by the face plate 18 which is secured in place by screWsJZD. The iorwardprojecting end o'f the spindle shaft ca'rries the circular -pla'te I is suitab'ly secured to the snare mmediately adjacent ia'ce :plate 18. Said Zpl'atawhich is 'of Tainflylarge diameter, is flanged as at 232 and ha s a plurality of slots 23 extending i adi'ailly of the plate and -s'paeed around the central hiib idf the same. The slots 23 receive tthe rear portion :of the 00H supporting a-rms, indicated in their entirety iby 12-5, and said slets confine the arms for movement in a radial ldiredti'on. This 'i a iiia'l movement of the terms when in an outward directioniexpands ithe arm's FfOr' th'e purpose-er 1 pin thecentra-l openingsof a coillpf :metal stock for the :lilze wherahy the coi :IS securel-y held and thus supported :by the a1iins.- "When the. medial movement is in'a'an inward direction the 50011 as released andzthe same may he removed. man the meal :is emp y, a fciiil may be located thereon. Elbe zrollers :26, il'miineilled f-ait dike wear. of mention 241, have trolling contact with the range :Hfimt hub :member 52:! do :which the platen! is secured and by :means of whim zthe plate :is liared .tb the ,spindle shaft 15 PS0 as 5120 irotate therewith: z-fl he said :flange part of *hub member 4:21 :-is lifimided a plurality 10f radialiyextendingzslots which coincide with r23 .so that the rear portion vthe :respective arm's extends through ithe aligned openings thus formed. additional plate {28 .is fixed toeircular plate ti :on the front surface thereof .adjacenthub ,2! and this dront ;;plate is :Iikewise :apertured to provide #a plurality of medial aligned openings. Rollers so, similar, to as, are also -;carr ied zby pmztion 24 {0f the *arms, and ithese rollers have contact with the state 19f plate =28. :Zllhe Joel shown in the drawings is providediour :ooil supporting arms and 68161] arms-is {op-.- ierativeely connected with axially amenable sleeve 32 which structure will now be described.

The sleeve 32 is tubular, having an internal diameter so as to telescope the forward end of the spindle shaft (5, and said sleeve is accordingly mounted for axial movement on the shaft. This movement is permitted by the key 33 which has the additional function of uniting the sleeve in a non-rotatable manner to the shaft. The forward end of sleeve 32 is provided with a cover plate 34 being secured to the sleeve by the screws 35. Ad jacent this connection between the cover plate and the sleeve, the sleeve is formed with an annular rim 3!? which functions as the front anchoring means for a plurality of longitudinally extending tubes 31. The tubes extend through the fixed slides 38 and 40 and they constitute means for oiling or greasing the diagonal surfaces of the slides since the tubes are in effect capillary members and provision is made for the release of the oil or grease from the tubes at their connection with the slides respectively. The arms 25 are each provided with slides 4 I and 42, being fixed thereto in spaced relation, the slides 4 I having slidable interlockin relation with their respective slide 38, whereas slides 42 have slidable interlocking relation with their respective slide .40. The slidable interlocking of the slides at their diagonal surfaces functions to retain the arms to the sleeve 32 and to additionally provide for radial movement of the arms upon axial a movement of the sleeve.

Movement is imparted to sleeve-32 by the operating rod 43 which extends through the spindle shaft l5 centrally thereof and projects from either end of the shaft. The forward projecting end of rod 43 is fastened by the nut 44 to the cover plate 34 which in effect connects the operating rod with sleeve 32 so that upon longitudinal movement of the-rod similar movement is imparted to the sleeve and as a result of the slides and their diagonal interlocking surfaces the arms 25 are caused to move radially of the circular plate 2|.

having connection with various supply pipes for the hydraulic fluid as will be more particularly described in connection with the hydraulic mechanism of the invention. When fluid under pressure is supplied by the distributor to the passage 48 the said fiuid is admitted to the rear of the cylinder in front of piston 46 and the piston is caused to move forwardly or in a direction toward the right, Figure 2, producing similar movement of rod 43 and sleeve 32 "which collapses the arms 25. When the pressure medium from distributor 41 is supplied to passage 49 the same is admitted thereby to the front end of the cylinder, and the piston is caused tomove in a direction toward the left.

This movement is imparted to rod 43 and thus to the sleeve which has the effect of causing expansion of the arms '25.

The spindle shaft carries a double sprocket wheel 58, the same being suitably secured to the shaft atthe connection-therewith of the cylinder 45 an'cl the said sprocket is 'suitably-enclosedby shaft 54, which thus constitutes the input shaft of the speed reducing mechanism, with the other shaft 51 comprising the output shaft and which is suitably coupled to the fluid pump 58. However, the pump 58 is operated as a fiuid motorv when it is desired to drive the spindle shaft and rotate the coil supported thereby. In such case shaft -51 constitutes the input shaft and 54 the output shaft. The element 58 is therefore a fluid pressure energy translating device which may operate either as a motor or as a pump of the variable displacement type, being equipped with a compensator for pumping a constant volume although its speed may vary. Said device 58 is manufactured by Vickers Incorporated of Detroit, Michigan under United States Patents Nos. 2,248,076 and 2,277,570.

The spindle reel of the invention provides a plurality of arms disposed in spaced relation with the spindle shaft of the reel and which are supported and operatively connected so as to move radially in an expanding or contracting direction. All the arms move simultaneously and to an equal extent and it will be clearly. understood that the arms may be hydraulically actuated by controlling the admission of a fluid under pressure to and from the pressure'cylinder 45. The pressure cylinder actuates the rod 43 extending longitudinally and centrally of the spindle shaft and said rod has movement'in a longitudinal direction to impart similar movement to the telescoping sleeve 32.

An improved structural feature of the invention resides in the slides fixed to the sleeve and arms respectively and which have interlocking relation on diagonal surfaces. This interlocking of the slides operatively connects the arms and the sleeve and provides for radial movement of the arms upon axial movement of the sleeve.

The structure of the present reel is rugged and durable and the several elements of the combination have been designed for adequately supporting the enormous weight of the large coils adapted to be supported by the reel. Each arm is mounted by the plate member for radial movement and it will be observed that contact with the plate member is maintained by rollers located on the rear of the plate member as well as by rollers located on the front surface of the plate member. This structure in combination with the coacting slidesrenders each arm sufficiently strong and rigid to support its share of the weight of the coil in addition to providing for radial movement of the arms to form a centering reel capable of hydraulic actuation.

This application is a division of our copending application entitled Hydraulic Reel, Serial No. 737,366, filed March 26, 1947. I

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings as various other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.-

, What is claimed is: g V

l. Ina reel of the type described, in combination, a spindle shaft journalled by supporting means on a substantially horizontal axis and positioned to provide a projecting reel portion, a plate member fixed to the projecting portion of the spindle shaft and having a plurality of radial slots formed therein, a plurality of coil supporting arms disposed parallel to the spindle shaft and extending through the slots respectively whereby the arms are mounted by the plate member for radial movement, a sleeve member telescoping the projecting portion of the spindle shaft and mounted thereby for axial movement, coacting slides fixed to the sleeve member and to the arms respectively and each pair having inter-engaging diagonal surfaces whereby axial movement of the sleevemember will produce radial movement of the arms, and an operating rod extending through the spindle shaft and connecting with the sleeve member for moving the member in an axial direction.

2. In a reel of the type described, in combination, a spindle shaft journalled by supporting means on a substantially horizontal axis and positioned to provide a projecting reel portion, a plate member fixed to the projecting portion of the spindle shaft and having a plurality of radial slots formed therein, a plurality of coil supporting arms disposed parallel to the spindle shaft and extending through the slots respectively whereby the arms are mounted by the plate member for radial movement, a sleeve member telescoping the projecting portion of the spindle shaft and mounted thereby for axial move ment, coacting slides fixed to the sleeve member and to the arms respectively and each pair having inter-engaging diagonal surfaces whereby axial movement of the sleeve member will produce radial movement of the arms, an operating rod extending through the spindle shaft and connecting with the sleeve member for moving the member in an axial direction, and a pressure cylinder at the end of the spindle shaft opposite the forwardly projecting portion for operating the operating rod.

3. In a reel of the type described, in combination, supporting means, a spindle shaft j ournalled by the supporting means on a substantially horizontal axis and positioned to provide a vertically projecting portion, a plate member fixed to the projecting portion of the shaft at the inner end thereof adjacent the supporting means, a plurality of coil supporting arms disposed in spaced relation circumferentially around the projecting portion of the shaft and extending parallel thereto for approximately the length of said projecting portion, means mounting the arms at one end thereof on the plate member for movement in a radial direction only and which prevents longitudinal movement of the arms in an axial direction, a sleeve member telescoping the projecting portion of the spindle shaft and being mounted thereby for axial movement, means fixed to the sleeve and to each coil supporting arm and having slidable interengaging relation for connecting the sleeve member with each coil supporting arm whereby axial movement of the sleeve member will produce radial movement of the arms, and an operating rod extending through the spindle shaft and connecting with the sleeve member for moving the member in an axial direction.

4. In a reel of the type described, in combination, supporting means, a spindle shaft journalled by the supporting means on a substantially horizontal axis and positioned to provide a forwardly projecting portion, a plate member fixed to the projecting portion of the spindle shaft at the inner end thereof adjacent the supporting means, a plurality of coil supporting arms disposed in spaced relation circumferentially around the forwardly projecting portion of the spindle shaft and extending parallel for approximately the length of said projecting portion, roller means mounting the arms at one end thereof on the plate member for movement in a radial direction only and which prevents longitudinal movement of the arms in an axial direction, a sleeve member telescoping the projecting portion of the spindle shaft and being mounted thereby for axial movement, slide members fixed to the sleeve and to each coil supporting arm to form pairs having slidable interengaging relation for connecting the sleeve member with each coil supporting arm whereby axial movement of the sleeve member will produce radial movement of the arms, an operating rod extending through the spindle shaft and connecting with the sleeve member for moving the member in an axial direction, and a pressure cylinder at the end of the spindle shaft opposite the forwardly projecting portion for actuating the operating rod.

FREDERICK M. LITTELL. RUDOLPH A. S-KRIBA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,117,640 Wean et a1 May 17, 1938 2,236,971 Iversen et a1. Apr. 1, 1941 2,352,580 Wettengel June 27, 1944 2,394,504 Schroeder Feb. 5, 1946 

